Global Organisations
Georgia Boonen
The Aims and Principles of the WHO
The World Health Organisation is the organisation within the United Nations Agency that is responsible for internationally directing and coordinating health authority.
The WHO believes that the aims of public health have become unclear, so they have set an agenda of 6 steps. The first step is to promote development, focusing on providing life-saving and health-promoting facilities in developing countries. The second step is to foster health security through helping the international defense against disease outbreaks. Thirdly, the WHO aims to strengthen health systems by ensuring that sufficient financing, trained staff, access to health technology and drugs, as well as means to collect important statistics are available internationally. The fourth step is to set standards for research, evidence and information to set a secure foundation for progress. The fifth step is to enhance partnerships, both between countries and between the WHO and other organisations. The final step is to improve performance through encouraging and assessing efficiency and quality at country, regional and international levels.
Video: Healthy ageing -- adding life to years
This video by the WHO communicates that life expectancy is raising and that stereotypes against older people are preventing necessary change and progression. It highlights the importance of valuing the contribution of older people, providing older people with good health care and practicing healthy habits in order for communities to benefit and to ‘add life to years’.
Article: WHO standards cause China to cut pollution
The following article explains that in order to reduce China’s heavy air pollution, the Chinese Government is going to reduce coal consumption, close steel plants and restrict the number of cars on the road. The Chinese Government was inspired to take action when concentrations of dangerous pollution in Beijing reached 40 times the level recommended by the World Health Organisation. In this article it can be seen that the health standards set by the WHO are being taken into consideration and used as a foundation to improve the important issue of air pollution and unsustainable use of resources in China.
Critical Analysis
I believe that the WHO effectively achieves its aims. WHO statistics are being used as foundations for change, as can be seen in the article above in which China decided to cut air pollution due to reaching 40 times the WHO standards. Recent release by WHO, UNICEF, World Bank Group and UN-DESA of the news that due to the improvement of health systems, child death rate has decreased by half since 1990; not only showing that WHO is succeeding in strengthening health systems but also in encouraging relationships between organisations. The WHO is improving global health in many areas and I believe that their clear 6 step agenda is an effective approach.
CARE AUSTRALIA
The Aims and Principles of CARE Australia
CARE Australia is a non-political Australian charity and philanthropic aid organisation that’s mission is to fight global poverty. CARE aims to serve individuals and families living in poverty through addressing problems causing poverty with innovative and effective solutions that will give a sustainable outcome. This includes addressing discrimination and promoting a positive attitude towards global diversity; providing relief in emergency situations; supporting self help and providing opportunities which allow individuals in poverty stricken areas to accomplish things that will benefit their community i.e. providing education and job opportunities so that a person can support their family and inspire progress in their community. CARE also believes strongly in women empowerment. By providing women with the opportunity to be educated, access health services, make an income, and take a role of leadership in their community; they are allowing women to make a lasting change, fight against gender inequality and bring entire communities out of poverty.
Video: CARE in Emergencies
This video communicates the important emergency aid provided by CARE, focusing on the situation in Haiti, a country already in poverty when hit by a devastating earthquake in 2010. CARE provided food, medical aid and shelter and remained in Haiti for many months to rebuild their infrastructure until it was stronger than before.
Article: CARE supports Tony Abbot not cutting Medicare for abortion
The following article explains that Tony Abbot refused to support Senator Madigan’s bill to cut Medicare funding for abortion if he was made Prime Minister. As women empowerment is one of CARE Australia’s most prominent values, CEO of CARE Julia Newton-Howes agreed to Tony Abbot not using abortion rights as a ‘bargaining chip’. She also urged politicians to provide the millions of women in poverty the same assurance that their rights to family planning and safe abortion would not be sacrificed for political gain. Women’s access to health greatly affects poverty, so by speaking out against restricting funding to safe abortion in the aid program, CARE supported the global issue.
Critical Analysis
I believe that CARE Australia is achieving its aims and principles effectively. Firstly, in their aim to provide emergency relief, CARE Australia is making excellent progress in numerous situations e.g. in assistance to the Northern Mali political and food crisis, CARE has reached 37000 households with food distribution, health assistance, hygiene kits and financial aid. Secondly, CARE has achieves its goals with a focus on empowering women, teaching skills and providing opportunity, especially through their education programmes which have seen many successful cases of women using new skills to inspire progress in their community. I believe that CARE's innovative solutions effectively work towards a sustainable solution to global poverty.
Bibliography
· CARE Australia. (2013) 'Emergency Northern Mali' http://www.care.org.au/mali-conflict-2013 (accessed: 13/09/2013).
· CARE Australia. (2013) 'Vision, Mission, Values' http://www.care.org.au/vision-mission-values
· CARE Australia. (2013) 'Women's Enpowerment' http://www.care.org.au/womens-empowerment (accessed: 10/09/2013).
· CARE Australia. (2013) 'CARE in Emergencies' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QMJvgwsfIU (accessed: 10/09/2013).
· WHO, UNICEF, World, Bank, Group, UN-DESA, Population, Division. (2013) 'UN: Global child deaths down by almost half since 1990' http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2013/child_mortality_causes_20130913/en/index.html (accessed: 13/09/2013).
· WHO. (2013) 'The WHO Agenda' http://www.who.int/about/agenda/en/index.html
· WHO:, Healthy, Ageing, --, Adding, Life, To, Years. (2012) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL-TJjCJPaI (accessed: 01/09/2013).